Automatic take-up for brake bands



June z, 1925..

R. T WHIPPLE AUTOMATIC TAKE-UP Fon BRAKE BANDS' Filed ont. 21. 1922 Uso Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND T. WHIPPLE, F SAN FRANCISCO,l CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIBM'T AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 10 CHARLES H. BAER, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALI- FOBNIA AUTOMATIC TAKEUP FDR BRAKE BANDS;

Application led October 21, 1922. SerialNo. 586,108.

To all 'whom t may concern:

l Be-it known that I, RAYMOND T. WHIPPUE.,

a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented l new and useful Improvements in Automatic Take-Ups for Brake Bands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to im rovements' in automat-ic take-ups for brake ands, and is particularly designed for taking up the band employed in the transmission of aY well known type.

y The rincipal object of this invention is to provide an automatic take-up which may be applied to the tightening rod'without altering the same.

Another obj ect is to provide means whereby it will be unnecessary to open the gear case for the purpose of making [a band adjustment.

A further .object is' to provide 'a device of this characterV which is simple in constructiom'cheap to manufacture and one which may be marketedl at a reasonableprice.

Other objects and advantages willbe aparent during the course of. the following escription.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like l parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of a brake band showing the outline `of the gear,

case in dotted lines. Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail view partly in cross-section of a brake band,

Figure 3 is a planview of the tightening ratchet,

Figure 4 is a side elevation of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a plan view 'of an intermediate ratchet, Figure 6 is a side elevation of Figure 5, Figure 7 is a top plan view of an expansion spring,

Figure 8V is a side elevation of Figure 7, Figure 9 is a bottom 1an view of the band retaining sleeve an its cap, y

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the retaining cap,

Figure 11 is a. side elevation of Figum 1o,

Figure 12 is a bottom .retaining cap, and

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the. retaining sleeve.

The construction of a transmission as shown is such that ,when it is necessary to adjust one of the brake bands it is necessar to remove the gear case cover andthen tlg ten the end bolt of the compression rod. This is atedious and very dirtyjob owing to the 'fact that these bands receive a discharge of oil thereover when the car is in motlon. I therefore proposeltoi apply to the compression rod a selfadjustingmechamsm which will automatically adjust itself on the compression rod as the brakey band wears. l .v

In theaccompanying drawings wherein for 'the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred exam le of the same, the numeral plan view of the 14 designates t e usual brake band mounted upon the brake drum, shown in dotted lines at 16, of a well known transmission which is mounted within a housing '17, also shown in dotted lines. A compression rod 18 passes through the upturned ends 19 and 21- ofthe brake band 14 and extends outwardly therefrom through the side ofthe housing and is secured to a brake pedal 22. This brake pedal has its lower portion formed upon an angle as shownat. 23, so as tof form a 'camagainst thev side of the housing, which is also formed u n an ineline as shown at 24, the result ing that as the pedal 22 is moved about its pivot. point, .these inclined surfaces 23 and 24 cause the compression rod 18 .to move in the direction of the arrow a. VAs the upturned end 21 of the band 14 is held station- Y ary, the result is that the upturned end 19 is moved toward the upturned 21, thereby contracting the band about its brake drum.

-An expansion spring 26 is coiled about thev compression ro 18 and abuts the two u turned ends of 'the band, 19 and 21.` e

construction thus far described is the ordinary construction employed. v

` My invention relates to the applyingk of a retaining sleeve 27 to the threaded end 28 of the compression rod 18. This retainin sleeve is sllpped upon the compression r 18 so that it abuts the upturned end 19, and

is further provided with fiat faces as shown at 29 and 31 which are adapted to lie between the bifurcated portions .of the upturned end 19 as shown in. dotted lines in Figure 2. This retaining sleeve is provided with ratchet teeth 32, and with a shoulder 33. Recesses as shown at 34 are provided on each side of this nut, the purpose of which willv be later seen.

The numeral 36 refers: to an intermediate ratchet having ratchet teeth formed on opposite sides thereof. These teeth are shown at 37 and 38 of Figure 6. This intermediate ratchet 36 is threaded upon the compression rod 18 so as to have its teeth 38 engage the teeth 32 of the retaining sleeve 27. At 39, I have shown a tightening ratchet, the construction of which is best shown in Figures 3 and 4. This ratchet is adapted to slip upon the compression rod 18 and is lprovided with a key 4.1 which fits within a eyway 42 thus preventing rotation of this ratchet. One face ofthe ratchet 39 is provided with teeth as shown at 43, which are adapted to contact the teeth 37 of the intermediate ratchet 36. A spring 44 is slipped upon-the rod 18 so as to abut the ratchet 39. T

is spring is held in place through the,

medium of a cap 46 having spring fingers 47 and 48, which spring fingers are adapted to pass through the recesses 34 of the sleeve 27, after which the cap 46 is given a quarter turn so that these fingers engage the shoulder 33,`thus retaining the compression spring in engagement with the ratchet 39. The operation of my device is as follows y When the brake pedal 22 is moved to cause compression of the brake, the compression rod 18 turns, which rotary movement is transmitted to the ratchet 39 through its key engagement. This movement is transmitted through t-he teeth 43 to the teeth 37 of the intermediate ratchet 36. The movement of the intermediate ratchet causes the teeth 38 to ride upon the teeth 32 of the sleeve 27. Should the rotary movement of the compression rod be greater than the width of one of these teeth, the result will be that the intermediate ratchet will move up one tooth with relation to the sleeve 27, and as the pedal is released, the ratchet 39 will move rearwardly with the ycompression rod and also'take a new hold upon the intermediate ratchet 36. As the, intermediate ratchet 36 is screw threaded upon the rod 18, it will be seen that everytime itis advanced4 a tooth, it is taking up slightlyupon the brake band. If, however, the movement of theA brake pedal is not sucient to take up the band, the resultwill be'that the teeth 32 and 38 will merel ride upon each other, and again return to t e same position.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simple mechanism which will automatically adjust the brake band when wear is taking place. It is obvious that this same mechanism may be applied to brakes other than those of the type shown.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts. ma be resorted to Without departing from t e spirit of the invention or the scope of the .subjoined claims.

IfIaving thus described my invention, If'

cla-1m:-

V1. In a device of the the combination with a band, a compression rod the ends of said brake band, means for rotating said rod, a sleeve slidably held upon said rod, an intermediate ratchet secured upon the end of saidrod so as to contact said sleeve, `and a tightening-ratchet slidably character described, compresslon brake keyed on said rod, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a compression brake band having upturned ends, a compression rod adapted to engage said means for imparting. partial rotation to said rod, ratchet;` means secured to one end of said brake band, an intermediate ratchet threadedly engaged by said rod and adapted to have enga-gementA with said ratchet a tightening ratchet slidably keyed to said rod and 'adapted to contact said intermediate ratchet, and spring means for causing said ratchets to Contact one with the other.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a compression brake band having upturned ends, a compression rod adapted to engage said upturned ends, means Vfor imparting partial rotation to said rod, ratchet means secured to one end of said brake band, an intermediate ratchet threadedly engaged by said rod and adapted to upturned ends,

means,

eov

extending between have engagement with said ratchet means,-a

tightening ratchet slidably keyed to said rod and adapted to contact said intermediate ratchet, spring means for causing said ratchets to contact one with the other, and a A RAYMOND T. WHIPPLE. 

